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The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission is conducting a fact-finding mission, with its findings to be integrated into Fiji’s Cost of Living Framework.

Chief Executive Joel Abraham says that they are focusing on nine thematic areas, including transportation, energy, hardware, food items, and agricultural products.

Abraham states that the mission aims to gather market information to comprehensively understand the factors driving price fluctuations.

FCCC Chief Executive Joel Abraham

The FCCC Chief says the cost of living has been on a steady rise globally, and the Framework will look at ways to cushion its impact on ordinary Fijians.

“What we found is when commodities increase internationally, the private sector will come in and try to disproportionately increase the price, to make a bit fatter, a bit more margin on it. Those behaviours need to stop. We are going, not just Fiji, but globally we are going through an economic phenomenon where cost of living pressures are prevalent in almost all markets.”

Abraham stresses that the private sector needs to be more understanding during times like this.

“We are going to be looking at a high degree of scrutiny on some of the pricing practices and the sales techniques that the private sector is using and we are very much on our way to do that. We’ve collected quite a lot of information and in the coming months we’ll be making a few announcements.”

The FCCC is also considering right-sizing price control regimes in sectors where they exist.